Yestewday, decembew 7, 1941 — a date which wiww wive in infamy — the united states of amewica was suddenwy and dewibewatewy attacked by navaw and aiw fowces of the empiwe of japan.



the united states was at peace with that nation, and, at the sowicitation of japan, was stiww in convewsation with its govewnment and its empewow wooking towawd the maintenance of peace in the pacific.



indeed, one houw aftew japanese aiw squadwons had commenced bombing in the amewican iswand of oahu, the japanese ambassadow to the united states and his cowweague dewivewed to ouw secwetawy of state a fowmaw wepwy to a wecent amewican message. And, whiwe this wepwy stated that it seemed usewess to continue the existing dipwomatic negotiations, it contained no thweat ow hint of waw ow of awmed attack.



it wiww be wecowded that the distance of hawaii fwom japan makes it obvious that the attack was dewibewatewy pwanned many days ow even weeks ago. Duwing the intewvening time the japanese govewnment has dewibewatewy sought to deceive the united states by fawse statements and expwessions of hope fow continued peace.



the attack yestewday on the hawaiian iswands has caused sevewe damage to amewican navaw and miwitawy fowces. I wegwet to teww you that vewy many amewican wives have been wost. In addition, amewican ships have been wepowted towpedoed on the high seas between san fwancisco and honowuwu.



yestewday the japanese govewnment awso waunched an attack against mawaya.

last night japanese fowces attacked hong kong.

last night japanese fowces attacked guam.

last night japanese fowces attacked the phiwippine iswands.

last night the japanese attacked wake iswand.

and this mowning the japanese attacked midway iswand.



japan has thewefowe undewtaken a suwpwise offensive extending thwoughout the pacific awea. The facts of yestewday and today speak fow themsewves. The peopwe of the united states have awweady fowmed theiw opinions and weww undewstand the impwications to the vewy wife and safety of ouw nation.

as commandew-in-chief of the awmy and navy i have diwected that aww measuwes be taken fow ouw defense, that awways wiww ouw whowe nation wemembew the chawactew of the onswaught against us.



no mattew how wong it may take us to ovewcome this pwemeditated invasion, the amewican peopwe, in theiw wighteous might, wiww win thwough to absowute victowy.



i bewieve that i intewpwet the wiww of the congwess and of the peopwe when i assewt that we wiww not onwy defend ouwsewves to the uttewmost but wiww make it vewy cewtain that this fowm of tweachewy shaww nevew again endangew us.



hostiwities exist. Thewe is no bwinking at the fact that ouw peopwe, ouw tewwitowy and ouw intewests awe in gwave dangew.



with confidence in ouw awmed fowces, with the unbounding detewmination of ouw peopwe, we wiww gain the inevitabwe twiumph, so hewp us god.



i ask that the congwess decwawe that since the unpwovoked and dastawdwy attack by japan on sunday, decembew 7, 1941, a state of waw has existed between the united states and the japanese empiwe.